DHCP not addressing HD200s, need help

[najames]

I bought 3 HD200s, finished some internet wiring and connecting equipment, connected one HD200 up (tried all 3 since). It isn't seen by the router.

I checked the Cat6 wire I am using for the HD200 by connecting a PC. It immediatly was assigned a 192.168.1.105 IP adress by my Linksys WRT54G router. I connected to the internet, speed tests show 5.7MB/s down, 426KB/s up.

The HD200 is using the same cables. I tried both DHCP or static addresses in the menus, still isn't seen. It is using the default 20081017 firmware. If I try to update firmware via a flash drive and enter the 872 code on the update screen, nothing happens, it doesn't indicate that it will check the USB drive.

I'm stumped. It acts like like the HD200 doesn't want to go from a default 192.168.0.x to a 192.168.1.x LAN setting. I think this router firmware is permanently set to use 192.168.1.x addresses. Any ideas?

Different router?
Jim

[dadof4]

Sorry if you already tried this but did you try and power off/on the router after you attached the HD200's?

[najames]

I didn't power the router off/on. I wouldn't think it would be required. I pulled the Cat6 from the HD200, then connected it to the PC, the router immediately assigned the PC fine. I can try it though, nothing to lose.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by najames

I didn't power the router off/on. I wouldn't think it would be required. I pulled the Cat6 from the HD200, then connected it to the PC, the router immediately assigned the PC fine. I can try it though, nothing to lose.

While you're doing this, also remove power from the HD200. Connect all other HD200 connections (audio/video/cat6) and after your system is up and you have network connectivity - Then plug in the power to the HD200.

I don't think the default 20081017 firmware supported firmware updates from the USB port.

[najames]

Originally Posted by HelenWeathers

While you're doing this, also remove power from the HD200. Connect all other HD200 connections (audio/video/cat6) and after your system is up and you have network connectivity - Then plug in the power to the HD200.

I don't think the default 20081017 firmware supported firmware updates from the USB port.

I restarted the router, still no dice.

I'm not sure what you mean Helen? The network is up and running, I am using one of the new connections I pulled to type this. I have powered up/down the HD200 many times. I was using HDMI on the HD200, just tried with S-video for grins, it still fails on DHCP connection. Since I repowered the router, I do find it odd that this PC isn't listed in the DHCP client table, but still works.

That answers why I couldn't update it from a USB.

Note: I am trying one HD200 at a time, not all 3 at once.

[DOS64K]

Have you set a client limit in the security settings of your router? If you have done this in the past for security reasons, you might have hit your DHCP limit and not realized it.

[najames]

Originally Posted by DOS64K

Have you set a client limit in the security settings of your router? If you have done this in the past for security reasons, you might have hit your DHCP limit and not realized it.

Yes, I had a limit of 10, before I started on the HD200's I upped it to 20 to be safe even though I wasn't running out yet.

I went into the router and reconfigured it as 192.168.0.1. It did change the 3rd octet (term?) to a zero (192.168.0.x), never tried it before, thought it was preset hard at one, folks are dumb where I come from. I now have 20 adresses set, starting at 192.168.0.100. I powered off the HD200, repowered, tried DHCP and it still failed. Static also failed. I connected a PC up to the same connection and it was reassigned a new address.

This is the new DHCP table from the router. It assigned my switch, VOIP box, 2 PCs, but not the HD200.

DHCP Active IP Table
DHCP Server IP Address : 192.168.0.1
Client Host IP Address MAC Address Expires
HP switch 192.168.0.100 00:1D:B3:8B:8B:E0 23:42:01
MiniMe-PC 192.168.0.102 00:24:1D:24:7D:F3 23:42:05
vp_spa2k_2 192.168.0.103 00:0E:08:AB:F02 23:40:19
Minime 192.168.0.104 00:E0:4D:1C:E40 23:46:04

The last line of info (192.168.0.104) is from this PC in another room, on the same new Cat6 LAN system, MiniMe-PC 192.168.0.102 was using the same LAN cable/port I tried on the HD200.

This is really getting nuts, I thought these HD200s were pretty much plug and play. Ignore the faces in the text, I didn't do them.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by najames

remove power from the HD200....I'm not sure what you mean Helen?

I meant unplug the 5v wire from the back of the unit or the prong plug from the wall.

The system restart is good to let the router reassign addresses to your other devices (DHCP) before your HD200 powers up.

Clean start, you know.

[najames]

Originally Posted by HelenWeathers

I meant unplug the 5v wire from the back of the unit or the prong plug from the wall.

The system restart is good to let the router reassign addresses to your other devices (DHCP) before your HD200 powers up.

Clean start, you know.

Oh yeah, it's been powered up and down at least 20 times by now. It has been sitting unplugged for about 5 min now. I'll go plug it back in. Nope, still no adress. This is what it says on the HD200 internet settings screen, DHCP is checked.

IP address 0.0.0.0
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Gateway 0.0.0.0
DNS server 192.168.0.1

The same 0.0.0.0 adress shows in the system configuration too.

I am seeing this adress show up on the router, might be it, not sure, no host description.
192.168.0.101 00:1D:6A:4C:00:28 00:00:46

Jim@Minime:~$ ping 192.168.1.101
PING 192.168.1.101 (192.168.1.101) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 98.77.183.1 icmp_seq=4 Packet filtered
From 98.77.183.1 icmp_seq=6 Packet filtered
From 98.77.183.1 icmp_seq=8 Packet filtered
From 98.77.183.1 icmp_seq=10 Packet filtered
From 98.77.183.1 icmp_seq=11 Packet filtered

--- 192.168.1.101 ping statistics ---
14 packets transmitted, 0 received, +5 errors, 100% packet loss, time 13010ms

Edit: I added in a second HD200 in the master bedroom. It is not showing up in the routing table either. I am starting to wonder if I got a bad batch o' HD200s. This is very similar to another users thread only he didn't have much detail. Hey Helen, I live in Boca Raton, maybe I should FedEx my boxes down for you to test!! Hahaha.

[sic0048]

That MAC address is assigned to Alpha Networks. I'm pretty sure the extenders show up with a 00:23:A5 prefix.

Do you have a 2nd router on the network that might also be set up as a DHCP server?

[najames]

Originally Posted by sic0048

That MAC address is assigned to Alpha Networks. I'm pretty sure the extenders show up with a 00:23:A5 prefix.

Do you have a 2nd router on the network that might also be set up as a DHCP server?

Nope only one router, 2 switches, and my DSL modem. Don't think my DSL modem would be causing any issues since it doesn't show in my routing table.

I also just looked up the Alpha mac address after I verified the HP Procurve switch. At least I know what I should be seeing now if the 00:23:A5 is a good mac address, I see it is mapped to SageTV. I'm scratching my head on the Alpha, don't know what it could be unless its my 5port SMC switch, don't think so. I took a day off to work on this and am getting nowhere fast.

If I unplug the HD200, the 192.168.0.101 address mysteriously disappears from my list though.

[HelenWeathers]

My suspicion is something network related as well. It would be best to troubleshoot with the simplest net configuration if possible i.e. Server to Router to HD200 only.

[doc]

Yup, I'd go back to basics and eliminate your wiring completely by plugging an HD200 directly into your router using a standard ethernet cable and seeing if it then gets an IP address.

[najames]

One step ahead, did just that. I plugged a HD200 directly into the router. I unplugged the other two.

This is what it gets, IP address, MAC address, DHCP expiration.

192.168.0.106 = 00:1D:6A:4C:02:07 = 23:59:55

I can ping this from here.

Jim@Minime:~$ ping 192.168.0.106
PING 192.168.0.106 (192.168.0.106) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 192.168.0.106: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=1.28 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.0.106: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.437 ms

[doc]

Thats looking good.

My HD200's mac address starts 001d6a4b so I'd guess its the right device.

[najames]

Thanks doc, that ices it on the device. I got really crude and ran a 25ft Cat6 from the router directly out to the HD200 and it worked!! I'll try by passing the switch next and connect the HD200s directly to the router off the new cable.

I could get online, play a video, weather works now. I also had left the WHS server running accidently, the HD200 connected, and I found the Ghost Whisperer recordings I have been unloading from the ComCast box for my wife when she gets back from vaction, they play fine

I don't understand why the PCs all get adresses assigned easily, but the HD200s do not. It is more trouble shooting, but I can deal with it now that I know I can make it work and what device I am looking for.

The next major hurdles will be connecting my old Pioneer receiver (or get a new one), making the HDHomerun tie into the SageTV system, configuring my Harmony One, and moving the ComCast box trying to run it remotely. This last one has me worried. Are we having fun yet? I can feel another day off coming **cough cough**.

[doc]

That's definately a wierd one.

Now that its working you could try updating to the beta firmware on the HD200 and trying again to see if that makes any difference.

It might just be down to some chipset incompatibilites, I've seen a few wierd ones over the years.

[najames]

Update, the final chapter. This is really strange.

The first HD200 would not get an address assigned from the router from my main TV room no how, no way. I pulled 3 Cat6 cables there, cut the existing keystone jack and put on another, still wouldn't connect. I put a keystone jack on a second Cat6 cable and tried it, still wouldn't connect. I swapped out HD200 boxes and the second box was assigned an address immediately on the original cable. I moved the cable from the router back to the switch and it still works fine.

I took the "bad box" into the PC room and connected it to the same type of cable setup, connected into a switch here, plus the switch for my central location. It works great in this location, huh?

I am going to update all the firmwares, maybe it will also help. What a day and I am only getting started.

[dwalton22]

When you plug in each of the HD200s do you get a link light on the HD200 and on the corresponding port on the switch? If not then odds are you have either a bad cable or a bad port on your switch or both. It sounds like you are cutting the ends off of cables and re-crimping RJ-45 connectors. It's easy to have one loose wire when doing this....it might save you some headaches to buy the cables already made in the lengths you need.

Here is what I would do to troubleshoot this problem:

- find a short cable that you know is good, maybe steal one from some other network device in your house

- Using this cable connect each HD200 (one at a time) to your router. Verify that each can get an address. At this point you'll know if your DHCP server is ok and if the DHCP client in each HD200 is ok. Assuming all three devices are able to get an address:

- Pick one HD200 and plug it your switch using the known good cable. Verify that you get an ethernet link light and DHCP address then move the cable to the next port on the switch, power cycle the HD200 and verify that you get an address....repeat for each port on your switch. This will tell you if you have any bad ports on your switch.